Treatment of feathers and similar stuffing material in pillows, cushions, and the like



May 2., 1939. T. WURNGER 2,15%,89

TREATMENT OF FEATHERS AND SIMILAR STUFFLNG MATERIAL IN PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, AND THE LIKE Filed 0012. 4, 1954 Patented May 2, 1939 PATENT OFFICE TREATMENT or FEATHERS AND SIMILAR STUFFING MATERIAL IN PILLOWS, CUSH- IONS, AND THE LIKE Theodor Wiiringer, Vienna, Austria.

Application October 4,

1934, Serial No. 746,922

111 Austria October 23, 1933 7 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of feathers and similar stuffing in pillows, cushions and the like and has for its object to provide an improved method'of and apparatus for this purpose.

n In order to clean and recondition the stuffing of the kind to which the invention relates it has hitherto been necessary to remove the stuffing from its enclosing envelope. The present invention enables the stuffing to be loosened, aired, and generally reconditioned without removal of the stuffing by introducing a jet of air under pressure into the interior of the envelope to all places of the stufling, and by changing the 'direction of the jet as desired all parts of the stuifingeven in the corners of the envelope are effectively treated. Further the present invention enables the stufiing to be freed from dust-or dirt. For this purpose the dust laden air may be at the same time arranged to be withdrawn in the neighbourhood of the air jet so that the dust raised by the jet is not caught by intermediate layers of the stufiing. The dust laden air may be carried off from the envelope under its own pressure or may be sucked from the envelope by a vacuum cleaner or the like.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawlng Figures 1 and 6 of which illustrate the process of treatment, Figures 2 to 5 and 7 to '12 illustrating by way of example arrangements for carrying out the process.

Referring now to the drawing it will be seen that the pillow or cushion I is provided at one or more points-preferably at the seam, with nozzle members 2 preferably constructed of flexible material through which the nozzle '3 of any suitable domestic air blowing device 4 can be inserted. Thenozzle 3 is preferably a separate pipe which can be connected to the air blowing device. The size of the nozzle member 2 corresponds to the diameter of the nozzle of the air blowing device and a detachable connection and seal isconstituted by a rubber ring 5 or the like. The nozzle member 2 is preferablyof conical form being connected to'the envelope of the pillow or cushion at its larger-end, thus rendering it possible to give complete freedom of movement to the nozzle of the blowing device. By guiding the movement of the inserted nozzle the whole of the stufling, feathersjhorsehair or the like is by degrees distributed, whirled, loosened and freed from dust. After use the nozzle member is pressed flat, folded and by means of a stud fastener 6 or the like held together and pushed inside the envelope (Figs. 3-5) (this being facilitated by the conical shape of the nozzle mnibers) so that there is no inconvenient projection of the nozzle member from the envelope. The nozzle member is preferably composed of flexible material.

The nozzle member may be of double conical form as shown at 2, 1 in Figures 6 to-S, so as to prevent the entrance of particles of the stuffing into the portion 2 during the treatment. The double conical member is suitably secured at its largest diameter to the envelope, the .portion 1 projecting within the envelope and gripping the nozzle of the blowing device.

A single or double conical nozzle member is at one or more points in the envelope permanently or detachably secured thereto preferably at a seam a detachable fastening being'for example suitable for pillows or cushions/to be lent or hired. The nozzle member in this case is provided with a ring 8, which effects the fastening of the nozzle member to the envelope in cooperation with an outer ring 9 in the form 'of a rubber band or the like.

For the purpose of carrying out the process of the invention a blower device of the type shown for example in Fig. 10 is-particularly suitable although any blowing deviceemployed for household purposes may be utilised, if the contents of the envelope are only for instance to be loosened, dried or aired. In such cases there is no need to carry off the hot or cold air'blown in,which gradually escapes through the envelope.

With the device shown in Fig. 10 the airis introduced through an inner pipe), the removal of the dusty air taking place through the outer pipe H which leads to a dust bag 1'2. The two pipes may be arranged side by side as shown in Fig. 11. The tip I3 of the blower has preferably a rounded and solid surface, whereby the introduction of the blower into the inside of the envelope is facilitated. The opening for the air supply which is provided with a coarse meshfilter I4 is laterally located beyond the tip-and closely adjacent to this opening arearranged the intake openings for the air which are closed by means of fine meshfilters l5. With this construction of blower device the contents of the envelope are thoroughly whirled about all round the blower and the dusty air is immediately carried out of the envelope without the dust being caught 'in the intermediate stufling. In order to obtain a greater speed of air emission the blower opening may be nozzle shaped or flat and for the purpose of introducing the air simultaneously in several directions within the interior of the envelope, the

blower device may be provided with air emission openings at the sides.

If the opening [6 is closed, the blower device operates only to introduce the air which escapes through the envelope. By arranging a control device at 18 by means of which the connection with dust bag is closed and the pipe H at the same time connected to the air pipe [0, the direction of the flow of air in the pipe H can be reversed in order to clean the filters when clogged although this can often be effected by simply closing the control device [6. Instead of a dust bag a vacuum cleaner can be attached to the nozzle member so that the air blowing device can be utilised in combination with the vacuum cleaner or the like, (Fig. 12).

The invention may be applied to all kinds of bedding, pillows, upholstery, mattresses, spring mattresses having stuffed covers etc. and is suitable for treating all kinds of stufling, such as feathers, seaweed, horsehair, etc.

Warm or cold air or gases may be utilized.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for loosening and removing dust from filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long double nozzle adapted to be inserted into the envelope having at least one gaseous medium outlet opening and at least one constricted gaseous medium intake opening in proximity to said outlet opening, a blowing device connected with said double nozzle whereby the gaseous medium emanating from the outlet opening loosens the filling material and the gaseous medium withdrawn through said intake opening carries along therewith the dust which is whirled up, without the necessity for the gaseous medium to pass through a large layer of the filling material, and a control element in the nozzle for withdrawing the gaseous medium.

2. An apparatus for loosening and removing dust from filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long double nozzle adapted to be inserted into the envelope having at least one gaseous medium outlet opening and at least one constricted gaseous medium intake opening in proximity to said outlet opening, a blowing device connected with said double nozzle whereby the gaseous medium emanating from the outlet opening loosens the filling material and the gaseous medium withdrawn through said intake opening carries along therewith the dust which is whirled up, without the necessity for the gaseous medium to pass through a large layer of the filling material, and a control element in said double nozzle for connecting the gaseous medium outlet opening with the gaseous medium intake opening simultaneously with the closing of the end of the nozzle through which the dust laden gaseous medium is withdrawn from the nozzle.

. 3. An apparatus for loosening and removing dust from filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long double nozzle adapted to be inserted into the envelope having at least one gaseous medium outlet opening and at least one gaseous medium intake opening in proximity to said outlet opening, whereby the gaseous medium emanating from the outlet opening loosens the filling material and the gaseous medium withdrawn through said intake opening carries along therewith the dust which is whirled up, without the necessity for the gaseous medium to pass through a large layer of the filling material, said nozzle having a tip which is rounded and solid at its outer surface, with the gaseous medium openings located at the side of the tip of the nozzle.

4. An apparatus for loosening filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long pressure nozzle having a gaseous medium outlet opening therein, and a tightly fitting nozzle member attached to said envelope adapted to permit the insertion of said nozzle into said envelope and the movement thereof to all places of the stuffing and in all directions within the envelope, said nozzle member being of double conical formation and attached to the envelope at the intermediate point of greatest diameter of the nozzle member so that one of its conical ends is within the interior of the envelope, while the other end projects from the envelope while in use, both ends of the nozzle member gripping the inserted nozzle. 5. An apparatus for loosening filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long easily detachable and manually manipulable pressure nozzle having a gaseous medium outlet opening therein, and a tightly fitting nozzle member attached to said envelope adapted to permit the insertion of said nozzle into said envelope and the movement thereof to all places of the stufiing and in all directions within the envelope, said nozzle member adapted to be flattened, folded several times and pushed into the envelope after the removal of the nozzle of the blowing device therefrom.

6. An apparatus for loosening filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long pressure nozzle having a gaseous medium outlet opening therein, and a tightly fitting nozzle member attached to said envelope adapted to permit the insertion of said nozzle into said envelope and the movement thereof to all places of the stuffing and in all directions within the envelope, said nozzle member adapted to be flattened, folded several times and pushed into the envelope after the removal of the nozzle of the blowing device therefrom, and a stud fastener or the like arranged to retain said nozzle member in its folded condition.

7. An apparatus for loosening filling material such as feathers within an envelope such as a pillow or cover comprising a long pressure nozzle having a gaseous medium outlet opening therein, and a tightly fitting nozzle member attached to said envelope adapted to permit the insertion of said nozzle into said envelope and the movement thereof to all places of the stuffing and in all directions within the envelope, said nozzle member being adapted to be detachably secured to the envelope at a seam thereof by means of a gripping device consisting of two coupling elements clamping the envelope seam therebetween, one of said elements being fixed to the seam and the other element being detachably associated therewith.

THEODOR WiiRINGER. 

